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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689815">Too Much of Damn Peace</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arvari/pseuds/Arvari'>Arvari</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode: s01e05 Bottled Appetites, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Hurt Jaskier | Dandelion, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Jaskier | Dandelion Whump, M/M, Mute!Jaskier, The Djinn Incident, jaskier loses his voice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:20:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arvari/pseuds/Arvari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He doubles over and clutches his throat.<br/>“Geralt!” he hears himself croak, instinctively reaching for the Witcher.<br/>It hurts, it hurts so fucking much…<br/>And then something snaps. The pain goes away, but something is missing. Something is wrong. Horribly, terrifyingly wrong.<br/>“Jaskier?”<br/>He doesn’t know what is wrong until he opens his mouth and tries to say something… and nothing comes out.</i>
</p>
<p>The meeting with the djinn leaves Jaskier permanently mute, but Geralt is determined to do anything he can to help the bard. The problem is... It seems there isn't anything he <i>can</i> do.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>388</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Too Much of Damn Peace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I just want some damn peace!”</p>
<p>“Well here’s your peace!”</p>
<p>The bottle smashes on the ground and Geralt growls. Jaskier is almost about to apologize – he really shouldn’t have broken the bloody thing, he didn’t even <em>want</em> to, he was just angry and Geralt was shouting…</p>
<p>But then the wind rises and Jaskier feels an invisible force close around his throat, a horrible pressure…</p>
<p>He doubles over and clutches his throat.</p>
<p>“Geralt!” he hears himself croak, instinctively reaching for the Witcher.</p>
<p>It hurts, it hurts so fucking much…</p>
<p>And then something snaps. The pain goes away, but something is missing. Something is wrong. Horribly, terrifyingly <em>wrong.</em></p>
<p>“Jaskier?”</p>
<p>He doesn’t know <em>what</em> is wrong until he opens his mouth and tries to say something… and nothing comes out.</p>
<p>His eyes go wide and he gestures at his throat, opening and closing his mouth a few times, hoping that Geralt will understand. And he does.</p>
<p>“Oh,” the Witcher mutters. “Fuck.”</p>
<p><em>Yes,</em> Jaskier thinks. <em>That sums it up quite nicely</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They find a healer, and with his help, they find a mage, Yennefer. She is currently holding an orgy when they do, and if the circumstances were different, Jaskier would absolutely join in, but he’s not in the mood tonight. Maybe when she heals him, though…</p>
<p>“There’s nothing I can do,” the mage says. “His voice is gone.”</p>
<p>Jaskier’s lips are halfway through “<em>excuse me?!</em>” when his brain catches up. He shuts his mouth and looks at Geralt.</p>
<p>“What do you mean <em>nothing</em>?” Geralt frowns.</p>
<p>“I mean,” the mage sighs, “that even though his injury is magical in its nature, there is no magical way to remove it. Well, except for the force that inflicted it in the first place.”</p>
<p>“The djinn,” Geralt nods. “Yes, that could…”</p>
<p>Jaskier points at his throat and shakes his head.</p>
<p>“But he can’t make his last wish if he can’t <em>speak</em>,” Geralt says.</p>
<p>“That’s the problem, yes,” Yennefer says, unconcerned.</p>
<p>“So what should we <em>do</em>?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Try the true love’s kiss?” she smirks.</p>
<p>Jaskier snorts.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so,” Geralt mutters. “Well, thank you, I suppose. We’ll be on our way.”</p>
<p>“Wait. Maybe I could… think of something,” she says, smiling a little. “If you stayed for the night. Give me some time and I–”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so,” Geralt shakes his head. “Come on, Jaskier. We’ll find a tavern to sleep in.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It’s not hard for Jaskier to come to terms with losing his voice. The reason is simple – he doesn’t believe he lost it for good. Not for one second. He trusts his friend, he just <em>knows</em> Geralt will find a way to make Jaskier able speak again, no matter the cost. This whole affair is just a tiny bump on the road, a minor inconvenience that will go away within a few days.</p>
<p>Or weeks.</p>
<p>Maybe… Maybe months.</p>
<p>As the days pass, it becomes harder and harder not to stop believing, but Jaskier is an eternal optimist and he’d rather die than lose hope. He clings to it, just as much as he clings to the Witcher himself. He doesn’t have much of a choice, really. A mute bard can hardly take care of himself, can he?</p>
<p>“It’s my fault,” the Witcher mutters one evening, weeks after the incident, as they sit by the fire in their camp. “I should have… protected you.”</p>
<p>Jaskier reaches for his notebook, scribbles a single word in it and shows it to Geralt.</p>
<p>“Bollocks,” Geralt reads out loud and smirks. “As you wish. But you know it’s true.”</p>
<p>Jaskier turns the notebook back to himself and scribbles another word.</p>
<p>“Bollocks,” Geralt says. “But the letters are bigger.”</p>
<p>Jaskier shrugs.</p>
<p>“We really need to find a better way to communicate,” Geralt mutters. “It takes you too damn long to write what you want to say, and then you get all impatient and your writing becomes illegible.”</p>
<p>Jaskier opens his mouth, clutches his chest and gasps, clearly offended.</p>
<p>“You know, there’s a… sign language the deaf people use, right?” Geralt asks, biting his lower lip.</p>
<p>Jaskier nods.</p>
<p>“I just thought… I know we’re both hoping we can <em>somehow</em> bring your voice back, but until then…”</p>
<p>Jaskier sighs and starts writing.</p>
<p>“I know a guy,” Geralt reads. “Did you sleep with his sister, though? Mother?”</p>
<p>Jaskier shakes his head, writes a single word and shows his notebook to Geralt.</p>
<p>“Him. Oh,” Geralt blinks. “And you think he would be… willing to help?”</p>
<p>Jaskier nods.</p>
<p>“Right. Where can we find him?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They go to Jaskier’s ex-lover. They learn a few things about sign language, Jaskier fucks the guy and they leave in a bit of a hurry with a stack of books that are technically not <em>quite</em> theirs.</p>
<p>Geralt tries to pretend to be mad, but Jaskier sees right through him. As he always does.</p>
<p>They hide in a small town for a few days and Geralt takes a few easy contracts while Jaskier buries himself in the borrowed (well, stolen) books.</p>
<p>“Did you learn anything new today?” Geralt smiles as he enters their shared room, already tugging at the straps of his bloody armor to take it off.</p>
<p>Jaskier beams and lifts his hands.</p>
<p>“Something that isn’t swearing or asking for sex,” Geralt specifies.</p>
<p>Jaskier frowns and lets his hands fall down.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I thought so,” Geralt chuckles. “You should really try to learn something <em>useful</em>, Jask.”</p>
<p>Jaskier makes a brief gesture.</p>
<p>“Okay, I understood <em>this</em> one. And it’s not a nice thing to say, you know?”</p>
<p>This time, there is a whole series of gestures.</p>
<p>“That’s just more swearing, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Jaskier nods.</p>
<p>“Would you… Would you like to learn… together?” Geralt offers.</p>
<p>Jaskier blinks before nodding again, more slowly this time.</p>
<p>“Fine. Pass me a fucking book that does <em>not</em> contain new swearwords…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The weeks, as Jaskier was afraid, turn to months, and his voice still doesn’t come back. He desperately tries to hold onto his hope, but he’s starting to feel like he’s grasping at straws. If there was anything to be done, surely Geralt would have done it already?</p>
<p>Maybe… Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try the <em>true love’s kiss</em> route – the only problem is, it would also require Geralt’s assistance. And Jaskier isn’t ready to try and explain <em>that</em>.</p>
<p>And perhaps it’s for the best, he concludes. Because Geralt seems much better off without Jaskier’s voice bothering him all the time. He’s been smiling more lately. And <em>talking</em> more. Almost as if he tries to compensate for the silence left by Jaskier’s muteness. He tells Jaskier stories about his adventures before the two of them met, his childhood at Kaer Morhen, his brothers. It’s more than he’s ever told the bard, more than Jaskier could ever ask for.</p>
<p>And Jaskier finds that he would be willing to listen the Witcher’s deep voice for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>“You’re coming with me to Kaer Morhen this winter,” Geralt announces one day, as winter draws closer and closer.</p>
<p>Jaskier raises his eyebrows and makes a gesture.</p>
<p>“Because I can’t leave you alone when you’re like this,” Geralt says, as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world. “You can’t earn money singing in taverns, you can’t even teach at Oxenfurt as you usually do during winters.”</p>
<p>Jaskier signs furiously.</p>
<p>“I’m not saying you’re <em>useless</em>,” Geralt sighs. “I’m just saying… It’s gonna be hard for you to make a living this winter without your fucking <em>voice</em>.”</p>
<p>Jaskier signs again.</p>
<p>“Don’t be stupid, you’re not gonna freeze to <em>death</em> in Kaer Morhen. Lose a few toes, perhaps…”</p>
<p>Jaskier’s eyes go wide and he makes a few more gestures.</p>
<p>“No, of course it’s not funny,” Geralt chuckles. “Well. Maybe a <em>little…</em>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nevertheless, Jaskier joins Geralt on his way to Kaer Morhen before the winter comes. Not because Geralt was <em>right</em> and Jaskier is finished as a lecturer <em>and</em> a bard, just because he’s been waiting for <em>years</em> for this invitation and he’s not going to ruin his chance by being offended. He just wants to spend a few contractless months with Geralt and meet his famous brothers – and if he needs to sacrifice his toes to do that, then so be it.</p>
<p>And maybe, just maybe, he will be able to convince Geralt to cuddle with him a little… Just to warm him up, of course. Nothing more.</p>
<p>He would never dare asking for <em>more…</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s just typical, isn’t it?” Geralt’s brother Lambert snorts one evening and stuffs a piece of meat into his mouth. “You keep promising to bring the bard for the winter… And when you finally do, he’s fucking <em>mute</em>.”</p>
<p>“Lambert,” Geralt growls.</p>
<p>Jaskier smirks and makes a sign that’s pretty understandable even for the younger Witcher.</p>
<p>“Honestly,” Eskel shrugs, “I was also looking forward to hearing the songs you’ve kept praising for years.”</p>
<p>Jaskier blinks and signs at Geralt.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Geralt mutters and his cheeks absolutely <em>don’t</em> go slightly pink. “Praising. Don’t make too much of it.”</p>
<p>Jaskier gestures.</p>
<p>“Well… Yes, I guess you could still at least play.”</p>
<p>Jaskier grins, jumps to his feet and promptly disappears. When he comes back, he’s holding his lute and Geralt can’t hide his smile.</p>
<p>Jaskier sits down, impossibly close, winks at Geralt and starts to play a song that the Witcher knows almost too well, because it’s been following him ever since he met Jaskier all those years ago. That’s why he finds himself quietly humming the melody. And that’s probably why, as the chorus comes, he starts to sing.</p>
<p>“Toss a coin to your Witcher, O’ Valley of Plenty…”</p>
<p>He opens his eyes to see Jaskier smiling wider than Geralt’s ever seen him, and he can almost feel his heart melt. Jaskier looks so beautiful like this, and Geralt wants…</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck,” he mutters, almost inaudibly over the sound of the lute, and then he reaches out, grabs the back of Jaskier’s neck and kisses him, long and deep. He hears Vesemir’s sigh, Eskel’s laugh and Lambert’s disgusted groan, but he doesn’t care. He’s wanted to do this for so, so long…</p>
<p>When he pulls away, Jaskier is staring at him with his blue eyes wide with shock. He opens his mouth, realizes it’s futile and closes it again.</p>
<p>And Geralt… Geralt just can’t take it. He jumps to his feet. He runs away from the room.</p>
<p>He hears the footsteps that immediately start to follow him, of course, but he just cannot face Jaskier right now.</p>
<p>But then a hand closes around his arm and yanks him around, much stronger than he would ever expect.</p>
<p>This time, there’s pure fury in Jaskier’s gaze as the bard starts to gesture wildly.</p>
<p>“Gods, will you just slow <em>down</em>?” Geralt groans. “I don’t understand half the things you’re trying to say!”</p>
<p>Jaskier huffs and starts again, more slowly this time.</p>
<p>“No. Wait. <em>No</em>,” Geralt says a few moments later. “I don’t think you’re not enough.”</p>
<p>Jaskier frowns and his hands start moving again.</p>
<p>“I… You don’t get it, do you? I feel like it’s <em>my</em> fault. This… Injury of yours.”</p>
<p>A simple gesture.</p>
<p>“Why? <em>Why</em>? Because you were with me when it happened and I couldn’t stop it. Because I can’t find a way to cure it. Because I know I wanted some damn peace but this is… Too much of damn peace.”</p>
<p>Jaskier shrugs and signs a single sentence.</p>
<p>“What do I want?” he blinks. “I… I just want you to have your voice back.”</p>
<p>A sudden gust of wind billows their clothes and hair and Jaskier, to Geralt’s horror, clutches his throat and gasps for breath.</p>
<p>“No,” Geralt mutters and grabs the bard’s arms to support him. “No, no, no, please, not <em>again…</em>”</p>
<p>The wind stops just as abruptly as it started and Jaskier meets the Witcher’s gaze. His lower lip is trembling.</p>
<p>“Geralt,” he croaks weakly.</p>
<p>“Jaskier?” Geralt whispers, unable to believe what’s happening. “What…”</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck,” Jaskier says. “What the everloving fuck… So it <em>was</em> your fault, you asshole!”</p>
<p>“W-what?” Geralt blinks.</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> were the one with the wishes, you dick! You wished for some peace, and you got it! You wished I had my voice back, and you got it! It means that it was never me, it was <em>you</em>! And it means you could have brought my voice back <em>months</em> ago! And it means… Fuck, it means Valdo Marx is still alive, isn’t he? Damn it. But oh, it feels so good to be able to talk again. It feels awesome. Oh, dear. I’m never shutting up again, ever. I’m gonna talk and sing and… Yes, sing! Toss a coin to your Witcher, O’ Valley of–”</p>
<p>But he <em>does</em> shut up when Geralt presses a kiss against his lips.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Geralt hums quietly against Jaskier’s skin, burying his face into the bard’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Jaskier,” he sighs, but there is no reply. He lifts his head and looks at the bard. “Jaskier?”</p>
<p>“Mhm?” Jaskier smiles. “Oh, sorry, dear. I got lost in my own head, I’m afraid.”</p>
<p>“That’s all right,” Geralt mutters, letting his head fall back down. “I guess it’s gonna take a while before I stop getting nervous when you suddenly go <em>silent</em>.”</p>
<p>“Understandable, I guess,” Jaskier chuckles. “You<em> do </em>realize that you’ve wasted <em>two</em> wishes on me, right?”</p>
<p>“If this is where it got me, I don’t care.”</p>
<p>“Also understandable.”</p>
<p>“Asshole.”</p>
<p>“I know, I know,” Jaskier laughs. “So… What’s your last wish gonna be?”</p>
<p>Geralt closes his eyes and breathes in Jaskier’s scent.</p>
<p>“I wish you were as immortal as me,” he whispers and braces himself against another gust of wind… Which doesn’t come.</p>
<p>“Hm,” Jaskier hums. “Oh, right. Remember two months ago when we got lost in the woods and we didn’t have anything to eat and you said <em>I wish I had a few apples for Roach at least</em> and then I, a humble bard, suddenly saw a fucking apple tree that you, the mighty Witcher, somehow completely and totally missed?”</p>
<p>“So… Your voice was my last wish,” Geralt sighs. “Well, at least it wasn’t wasted.”</p>
<p>“It’s a shame, though. I’d really, really like to spend the rest of your life with you, darling.”</p>
<p>Geralt smiles and places a kiss right next to Jaskier’s nipple.</p>
<p>“I guess we’re just gonna have to enjoy the time we have left, right?”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Jaskier laughs. “You have anything in mind?”</p>
<p>“I might have an idea or two…”</p>
<p>Their lips meet.</p>
<p>Somewhere above them, a djinn takes something similar to a deep breath… And grants the Witcher his fourth wish.</p>
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